The data used for this study derived froma detailed survey conducted in Sancha village by one of the authorswith assistance from the PCD duringMarch and October 2010. The surveywas conducted after a household census of all farmers in the village. One hundred
two households were successfully interviewed face-to-face with the aid of a specific survey questionnaire.13 For the purpose of the comparative study, two plots (one organic and one conventional)were randomly selected for each active rice producer from their reported paddy fields, and information about the rice production (output and inputs used for rice production)was then collected on the basis of the plot.14 Farmers were asked to recall information for the past five consecutive crops seasons (from 2008 to the first half of 2010). To ensure the reliability of organic practices reported by farmers, we also checked the answers against the records of the PCD. Inconsistent answers were dropped from the dataset.